South Korea’s top military officer on Wednesday called for firmly punishing North Korea in the event of terror attacks so that they pay a “harsh price,” his office said.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo made the remark as he inspected joint counter-terrorism drills between the Army, police, firefighters and other civilian personnel in western Seoul in connection with an ongoing major South Korea-U.S. exercise.
“If a North Korean terror (attack) occurs, focus all joint defense capabilities on ending the situation early on the spot and firmly punish those who conduct provocations so that they pay a harsh price,” he said, according to his office.
The call came after the North’s defense ministry warned that Seoul and Washington would pay a “dear price” over the annual Freedom Shield exercise, which began Monday for an 11-day run.
The North has long denounced such drills as preparing for an invasion against it and has used them as a pretext to stage military demonstrations. Seoul and Washingt
on have said such exercises are defensive in nature.
Separately, the Air Force staged an air exercise Wednesday to improve readiness against North Korean cruise missile threats.
The drills, involving F-15K fighter jets, took place at the 11th Fighter Wing in Daegu, 237 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in connection with Freedom Shield.
The exercise proceeded under the scenario of multiple North Korean cruise missile launches flying past the Northern Limit Line, the de facto inter-Korean sea border, with fighter jet pilots training to detect the missiles and intercept them.
The North has recently ratcheted up tensions with a spate of weapons tests, firing multiple cruise missiles off its east coast on Feb. 14, which marked the fifth such missile launch this year.
Source: Yonhap News Agency